Holding on by a Thread
by MorikoTheHalfAngel
Summary: An AU from a prompt came up by Artistefish! What if our two time-travelers met each other by the red thread of fate, and NOT by the will of a jewel? Starts out T, but I may bump it up if I continue more chapters, or I may just start a separate one-shot for it. ;) Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Holding on by a Thread

Rated: T for Inu's potty mouth

Inu/Kag AU (Two-shot that may turn into a full fic!)

This fic was inspired by Artiste's prompt for a red thread AU and I just HAD to do it!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any characters, go away copyright claims!**

* * *

"And _this_ , my dear Kagome, is called 'The Red Thread of Fate'! Why, this has been passed down our family through generations! It's one of the few created centuries ago!"

Kagome groans. " _Really_ , Gramps? That's just a rolled-up ball of yarn!"

Mr. Higurashi gapes aghast at his granddaughter. "Do not say such foolery! This ancient thread is guaranteed to help those who are far or lost to find their soulmate!"

"Uh-huh. Sure." Kagome rolls her eyes, one hand petting the fat cat reclining in her lap, the other 'marveling' at the red ball of cloth. "And I suppose the Shikon no Tama existed, too?"

"Of course! That story is—," He pauses and glares at the unimpressed fifteen-year-old. "Hmph! If it's just a ' _ball of yarn_ ', then why would we keep it for generations, hmm?"

"Because your great great great great _great_ grandfather was quite the prankster of his time, I assume." Kagome replies snidely.

"W-why, young lady, that is—!" He starts, but a woman's voice interrupts his tirade.

"Father, where are you? We promised Souta we'd take him and his friends out to that new park they opened up." Ms. Higurashi enters the threshold and smiles at them both. "Oh, hello Kagome! Is father giving you your present?"

"Nope, just giving Buyo some yarn." Kagome chuckles as she drops the ball onto her cat's stomach. He bats at it, but is suddenly startled by something, and darts out of the girl's lap. "Ah, Buyo! What on Earth…"

"It's the power of the thread, I tell you! It even spooked the cat!" Grandpa Higurashi quickly stands, pointing at the cross-legged youngster.

"Grandpa, Buyo is spooked by the old well, too. Does that have some kind of magical power, too?" She questions.

"Of course it does!" He snaps back. She sighs in reply, and her mother decides to stop the argument.

"Father, come on now, leave her be. She's going to be the birthday girl!"

"Mm, fine! But don't say I didn't warn you." He shakes a gnarled finger at the teen and leaves the room with his daughter.

Kagome hums and looks at the wad of thread. "Well, guess it's just you and me, oh great fate-sealing yarn."

A door shuts from the down the hall, and she assumes her family is gone now. She stands and picks up the wound thread and mumbles to herself, "Maybe I can make something with this, or sew it onto a plain dress?" She sighs. "Oh well, who knows."

And with that, she heads upstairs to her room to practice some math homework, cause the girl can't get a break from quizzes, even on her birthday.

* * *

"Myoga, will you just leave me alone?! Haven't you heard that this is _my_ forest? You're practically trespassing." Inuyasha leaps into his favorite tree, trying to ignore the old flea. "I don't care if Sesshomaru has some ' _willing_ ' woman to marry me off to so I can go live in the Western Lands. He's despised me for years, why on Earth does he care _now_?"

"My lord, please! Sesshomaru-sama has come at an impasse and needs you to save face for the sake of the land's honor and— ack!" The old flea is tossed back off his lord's shoulder.

"So what?! All of a sudden, the damned filthy half-breed can go and have a family, all to 'save face'?! What kinda desperate attempt is this? They've really gotta be sinking low if they're asking _me_ to join the family." He huffs, a low growl never leaving his throat.

"But sire, think of the positives! You'd no longer be alone, or lonely, or—" Myoga is smashed onto Inuyasha's knee in reprimand.

"Who the Hell said I'm _lonely_?!" The hanyou shouts.

"My… Apologies… M'lord." He strains out of his squashed form. He pops back to his original shape and takes a hasty retreat back onto the far end of the branch. "I'll… leave you be, for now."

"Good, that's how I _like it_." Inuyasha seethes through clenched teeth.

And he _did_ like it. He liked not having to deal with people everywhere, and if he wanted "company", he would go help out the village that lies on the outskirts of his forest. He's been around these parts for over a century, maybe longer, and he's saved their asses more than he can count. One winter was really bad, and while the adults could handle their minor illnesses, the children were not so lucky. They likely would have had to dig a lot of small graves if it weren't for him.

The old village miko, Kaede, was extremely worried about what to do for the children, because even she was running low on herbs during this harsh of a winter, and tea can't solve everything. Food was running low, too. Thankfully, it was towards the end of the winter, but she didn't think the kids could last that long. Imagine her surprise one cold morning when she found a heap of ingredients, all wrapped up in old baskets and aged cloth. Upon untying a basket, she finds a scrap of paper, likely as old as herself, lying on top of the _fresh_ ingredients. She read the scraggly and poorly written, but _legible_ , words to herself and softly gasped.

It was a recipe.

After that winter, he came by one day to trade for some vegetables, and more than half the village bowed and thanked him nonstop as he walked through to the small 'marketing' area. He was going to trade firewood for food when the man in front of him straight up gave him two whole bags of rice, free of charge. The man kept praising and thanking him for his 'elixir', and Inuyasha didn't have the heart to tell anyone it was just an old family recipe.

He 'avoided' the area for a bit after that. He still checked up on them, when few were around, but he didn't like the constant stares he received, even if they were all with good thoughts in mind.

Even still, while not having people despise him left and right was kinda nice, he knew none of them genuinely _liked_ him. _Maybe_ the old hag took a small liking to him for his 'good deeds', but he didn't have anyone _close_ to him. Last person like that was his mother, and she died _long_ ago.

Sometimes, he wonders what it'd be like… _Ugh, no!_ He shakes his head back and forth to rid of his train of thought. He was constantly pushing the thought out of his mind; he didn't do mushy stuff like that! But after a while, as he was about to close his eyes for the night, not even bothering to head back to his hidden cave he called home, he wondered what it'd be like…

To be _loved_ again.

* * *

Her alarm brings her out of her odd dream. Originally it had started out weird, like usual, more or less a nightmare of her quiz today, but then it suddenly changed to a calm and peaceful forest, high up above the trees. The stars and moon lit the whole sky, and she was honestly disappointed to be awoken from that serene scene.

She yawns and stretches, her pink tank top riding up above the band of her bright green shorts. She swings her legs over the side of her bed and reaches to itch the side of her head when she feels something soft brush her cheek. Perplexed, she glances at her hand. Wrapped around her pinky in a perfect knot is that red thread from yesterday.

"Ugh, Souta probably thought this'd be funny." She mutters tiredly. She goes to pull out the knot, but it doesn't budge. "Dang, he really knows his knots…"

She spots some scissors on her desk and gets up to grab them. She puts them around the knot and… snip! Wait.

Snip!

…

 _Snipsnipsnipsnipsnipsnipsni—_

"SOUTAAAA!"

"What is it, Sis?" The third grader quickly rushes into her room, not heeding the anger in her voice.

"What is this? What'd you do?! I can't cut it!" She screams, showing him her pinky finger angrily.

"What are you talking about, 'Gome? I didn't do that! Why can't you just cut it?" He replies meekly.

"I tried! It won't come off! Help me!"

He nods and moves to help untie the knot. He touches the tip and yelps. "It stung me!"

"What? What do you mean it stung you, it's thread!"

"I don't know, it just shocked me when I touched it!"

"Quit being a brat and help me!"

"I can't! Here, I'll go get Mom or something. Be right back!" He darts out of her room before she can stop him.

"Argh, Souta! Wait!" She begins to run after him when she notices the string leading out of her room and down the stairs. "Huh?"

Curiously, she begins to follow it. It leads right out her backdoor, across the shrine grounds (and at this point she's wondering just how long this piece of string is), past the sacred tree, and disappears into the well house.

"The well house? What's in here?" She opens the door. The thread leads up and over the lip of the old well. She mutters under her breath, "Alright, even Souta is too scared to go near the well…"

But that begs the question, _who did it?_ For some reason, she felt that her answer would lie at the end of this thread… That was down the well…

 _Surely_ she's dreaming.

And if it's a dream, then… _Screw it_.

She leaps down the stairs and before she can change her mind, swings herself over the edge of the well and falls.

* * *

He had an odd dream. Usually he sleeps so light he doesn't dream at all, but this time, he was somewhere _very_ strange. It was like he was looking through someone else's eyes. A room, but not like any room _he's_ ever seen, that's for sure.

He sits up from his reclining position against the trunk of what the villagers call a 'Goshinboku'. He moves to pop his neck when he notices something on his right hand. A red thread tied around his pinky finger.

It takes his groggy mind a moment to understand what exactly is wrapped around his finger, and as his eyes follow the path of the thread somewhere down into the forest, one thought enters his mind.

 _The fuck?_

He snaps out of his stupor and tries to cut the string with his claw. He tries again and again and again and—

"Alright, what the Hell?!" He snarls at the innocent thread so desperately clinging to his hand. Suddenly, he feels a tug.

And then a stronger one.

Somewhere not too far, a voice reaches his keen ears.

" _I know you're out there! Come out already!_ "

Gathering his wits and wondering what a young girl would be doing in his forest yelling at this hour in the morning, he leaps from the tree towards the voice.

A moment later, he lands outside of the clearing of the Bone Eater's Well, the woven red following the whole way.

He spots a girl and sputters, her revealing clothes something he's not used to seeing. He notices the thread move again as she does, and his eyes track the movement to her own pinky finger.

 _Bingo_.

"Oi!" He jumps out of the tree and lands in front of the girl.

"AH! GET AWAY!" She attempts to push him, but he doesn't budge.

"Do you know somethin' about this piece of thread?!" He shoves his finger in her face, and her blue eyes widen.

"How did you… Did you pull this prank?!" She shrieks, holding up her own finger. "I can't get the stupid thing off!"

"Neither can I, woman! What're you yelling at me for?" He barks.

"Well, what are you yelling at ME for?! I didn't do it! I came here looking for the person who did!" She yells back.

"It wasn't me! I was asleep!"

"I was, too!" She argues.

It's at this point when they glance down at their respective pinkies that they notice the length of the thread.

What once stretched nearly a mile was now only maybe a foot in length.

"You can't get it off, can you?" She mumbles dejectedly.

He looks at her questioningly, and shakes his head no. "You?"

"Not at all."

They stand there quiet for a moment, contemplating their situation.

"Well, this is gonna be a strange day... Either way…" She straightens up and quickly nods her head with a small smile. "Sorry for yelling at you, you seem like you're telling the truth. I'm Kagome."

Her smile stirs something in his chest, and he grunts in acknowledgement. "Don't worry 'bout it… Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha? Hm, now _that's_ a name I've never heard before." She giggles.

He's not sure whether to blush or be insulted.

She looks around, and she shoots him another dazzling smile. "So, what exactly is this place? We're not in Tokyo, are we?"

"I… I dunno what that is." He stutters. Even the villagers never smile at him like this, usually just mutual nods… What's with this girl?!

"Huh, I guess not then." She attempts to wander when she's halted by his hand, or, more so, by the thread attached to it. "Uh, that's strange. It stretched really far earlier, why won't it now?"

"Not sure, but I saw it change length when I ran over here. It's gotta be magical in some way, I guess." He growls under his breath as a thought enters his mind. "I pray to whatever Kami there is that this isn't a damned curse."

Kagome frowns. "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure this is the same thread that my grandfather gave to me for my birthday today, but it was just a wadded-up piece of string just last night. I woke up with it tied around my little finger."

He cocks a brow at that. "And, no one tied it?"

She shakes her head. "Not that I know of, at least. I know my little brother didn't do it, he was just as freaked out as I was!"

He rubs his chin for a moment, and his head pops up with an idea. "I think I know someone who can help us with this problem." He points with his free hand behind her towards a path in a grove of trees. "There's an old miko in a village just a ways from here, she'll probably help us out. Maybe a spell or something."

"That's great and all, but I think we have another problem…" She mumbles softly, tugging to try and stretch the string again.

"And just what might that be?" He sighs, his face void of emotion.

"I have to use the bathroom…" She softly shrugs.

 _Maybe this_ _ **is**_ _a curse._

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

I did iiiiittt!

Also, this is officially going to be a full fic. I love it too much to drop it!

* * *

Holding on by a Thread

Chapter 2

"I never want to talk about that again." Kagome whines.

"Agreed." Inuyasha says sullenly. "Besides, you'll have to do the same if I have to take a piss."

"Don't remind me." She groans.

She glances back down at their 'entwined' hands. Her left and his right. They were so close, it was almost as if they were holding hands, and she didn't even know the guy!

And she's still reeling at the fact that she had to pee… _So_ _close_ to him! Sure, he was on the other side of the tree, both of their hands stretched out beside the trunk for adequate privacy, but he could still _hear_ everything! It was so embarrassing, not to mention that there's no toilet paper here!

She wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

Thankfully, he agreed to put it behind him, so she'll try and do the same, and, _no she will_ _ **not**_ _cry about it!_

He's currently leading her to the village to meet this miko. From what she's learned, this _is_ Japan, but probably quite a few centuries ago.

She wishes she didn't sleep through most of history.

And apparently that's what Inuyasha's been doing, too, cause he doesn't know anything, either! He just knows what goes on in 'his forest' and in this single village.

 _Sounds boring_ , she muses.

They finally reach a hill that connects to some rice paddies down below, a dirt path leading straight from the forest through the village. He keeps walking, not really minding the strange looks given to him by the villagers. He'll nod occasionally, acknowledging them when they greet him with an awed look. Quite a few of them gawked at her as he led her down the path. A blush continues to reside on her face when he stops them in front of a small hut.

"Oi, babaa! I'm coming in!" He shouts, and he pushes aside the reed mat that acts as her front door. In the back of Kagome's mind, she thinks that what he just did was _probably_ a form of breaking and entering.

"Inuyasha? What a… _Pleasant_ surprise. And to what do I owe this intrusion?" The old woman calmly turns to him with an amused glint in her single eye, which widens when she spots the scantily dressed girl next to him.

"Cut the chit-chat, Kaede, I've got a problem." He holds up his hand, dragging Kagome's slightly with it.

She peers at the string that attaches them to each other, then clears her throat, "Well, what exactly _is_ the problem?"

He growls, "It won't fucking come off! And we can't even stand more than this far from each other!" He turns to Kagome and motions with his free hand towards Kaede. "Well? Tell her what ya told me!"

She dumbly nods and walks forward a bit, giving Kaede a small wave. "Um, hi, I'm Kagome, and uh, well, we both woke up with this string wrapped around our pinkies, and we can't… Get it off." She finishes quietly.

Kaede holds back a grin at the suddenly shy girl. "That does sound like quite the predicament. Tell me, did either of you tie this string?"

They both shake their heads no.

"Interesting." She mumbles. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, it'll come off at some point, but even I can't remove such a powerful force like that."

Inuyasha chokes as Kagome lets out a keening wail. "W-why not?!"

"What do ya mean a 'powerful force'?! It's a piece of some cursed string, not some damned will of the Kami!" Inuyasha goes to move forward but the saddened Kagome prevents him from moving.

"Inuyasha and, Kagome you said it was?— have either of you ever heard of the 'thread of fate'?" Kaede continues calmly stirring her breakfast for the morning.

They answer in unison.

"Thread of _what_?"

"I have!"

"So, you have, Kagome? And what do you know about it?" Kaede asks, motioning for the two to come and sit.

Kagome moves forward and Inuyasha follows directly behind. "Actually, I only just learned about it yesterday when my grandpa gave me this ball of red thread for my birthday." She kneels across the fire from Kaede, and Inuyasha sits cross-legged next to her. He resists the urge to stuff his hands in his sleeves, and it annoys him that to do that, he'd have to sit closer to Kagome.

He likes his personal space, thank you very much.

Kagome continues, "He said that this string would lead and connect those who are far or lost to their soulmate, but I thought it was just a story!"

Kaede chuckles, "As would any, child, but does your situation seem like a lie?"

Kagome gasps and glances over at the silver haired boy next to her. "Are you saying…" Kagome points a finger at him, turning back to Kaede with an incredulous gaze. "That he's my _soulmate_?"

Kaede's answer is interrupted by a livid snarl from said hanyou. " **No**." He grinds out. He glares at Kagome. "I don't _do_ that lovey-dovey shit. I spend my time _alone_ , and I'd like to _keep_ it that way!"

Kaede frowns at him, "Do not be _foolish_ , Inuyasha. No one can take that thread off," Kaede pauses. "Then again, no one can make you love her, nor her love you. Even still, you're stuck together until…" She hesitates at Inuyasha's grumbling, but continues, "Until you two can… _Sort this out_." She finishes.

"B-but I have school! And family and friends back at home! How can I explain this to them?" She asks hurriedly, twiddling her fingers.

Kaede raises a nonchalant eyebrow. "I suppose they'll understand, if you explain the circumstances, and of course, if they aren't against those with youkai blood," Inuyasha flinches and quickly avoids her eye at that. "Though I'm not sure what this 'school' you speak of is."

Kagome sighs, "It's fine, don't worry 'bout it…" She goes to stand and lightly tugs the string to bring Inuyasha with her. "Thank you, Kaede-sama, we'll leave you now."

Kaede gives her a wrinkled smile, "Of course, Kagome. And please, don't fret, Inuyasha is not as rude as he may seem."

"Hey! What's that s'posed to mean?!" He raises a fist.

"Honestly, Inuyasha? I said you _aren't_ rude," She turns away and mutters under her breath, "Then again, I've been wrong before."

"I heard that, ya old hag! You wanna say somethin', then say it!" He barks.

"Inuyasha, she's complimenting you, goodness!" Kagome intervenes by putting a hand on his chest. "I'm disappointed, too, but it's not _her_ fault we're in this mess!"

He stops growling and lays his ears back at that, a momentary look of shame crossing his features. It quickly disappears, replaced with an annoyed frown. He forces out a goodbye, "I'll see ya later, babaa."

Kagome's face scrunches up in displease. _He is so disrespectful! How can this jerk be my soulmate?_

She's forced out of her thoughts as Inuyasha begins walking back to the forest. As they walk to some unknown destination in silence, she begins to not only worry about her situation, but about her family. _They're probably worried sick!_

After moments of her trying to keep up with him because her bare feet keep stepping on twigs and rocks here and there, he finally stops and lets out a harsh sigh. He whips around and without hesitation, picks her up bridal style.

Kagome, not expecting this, lets out a shrill squeal, "What're you doing?! Put me down!"

"Quit yer blabbering! I live kinda far, and I _don't_ want to end up there at fucking _midnight_!" He retorts. He then gives her a sly smirk, and it makes her skin crawl at the look of amusement. "If it makes you _feel_ any better, I _can't_ drop you."

"What do you mean by 'dropping me'?" She whispers in slight fear.

Her answer is a rush of air as he starts sprinting at break neck speeds. She yelps and holds herself close to him, not wanting to fall, nor wanting to get whiplash.

After only a few minutes of running and leaping, he begins to slow down.

After setting her down in an exaggeratingly gentle manner, she lets out a frustrated growl and smacks his arm. "You're such a jerk! I could've died!"

The hit doesn't even faze him, his fanged grin never even wavering. "But you didn't, did ya?" He replies matter-of-factly.

She continues to glare daggers at him, her cheeks red from her near heart-attack on the ride here.

 _Speaking of… Where exactly_ _ **is**_ _here?_

She looks around the wooded area, taking in her surroundings. A narrow stream cuts through the small clearing, and if she didn't know any better, it almost seems manmade.

While wondering if that was even possible, Inuyasha walks past her towards a curtain of vines, adjacent to the mouth of the creek. She's forced to follow him, trying to prevent herself from being de-fingered by keeping fairly close to him. She glances up at his face, his expression somehow looking both annoyed and bored.

Her eyes begin to roam her supposed soulmate. He's quite a few inches taller than her, but that's all she can really tell body-wise. His form is mostly masked by his billowy red outfit. A slight movement at the top of his head catches her attention, and for the second time today, she tries to figure out how those ears ended up on his head. _They look like puppy ears…_

And despite his awful personality and rude attitude, she can't deny that his ears are oh so adorable.

 _I really wanna touch 'em…_

* * *

 _What a damn nightmare._

Here he is dragging around a helpless human girl, that he is literally _attached_ to, and he has to just _deal_ with it?!

He can't hunt, he can't have any privacy, Hell, he can't even sleep in his favorite tree anymore!

He knows that she more or less feels the same way, but that doesn't make him any less furious about the whole situation. Thankfully, they can probably get by on fish from his stream, rice from the village, and vegetables he has stored in his cave. At least, until this whole mess is sorted out.

He dares to peek at her from his peripheral and nearly growls at her awed stare. It's not aimed at him, no. She's staring at his ears.

His most obvious label as a freak.

An involuntary twitch of one grants him a surprising reaction, and that self-depreciating voice in the back of his mind shuts up. Her mouth opens slightly, and she giggles, her lips curving into a small smile.

This was different from when he told her his name, though. The first one was more awkward, but this? He feels as though she thought they were cute.

Does she think they're cute?

One half of him is annoyed with the thought. _She better not! I'm not_ _ **cute**_ _._

The other half sounds almost hopeful. _Does that mean_ _she doesn't mind them? Maybe she likes them?_

He breaks out of his internal argument when they reach his humble abode. Pushing aside the vines, he hears her mumble to herself behind him.

"… almost like a bead curtain…"

"A what?" He asks.

"What? Oh, you heard that?" She laughs under her breath. "It's nothing, just something I wanted when I was a kid."

He hums in reply, and the cavern becomes nearly pitch-black when the last vine covers the mouth of the cave.

Kagome halts to a stop, "Uh, Inuyasha? I can't see where I'm going…"

He sighs and tugs on what feels like a lead at this point. "You don't have to, I can see just fine. I'll get a fire started, so just stay behind me until then."

Warily trusting him to be her eyes, she lets him lead her through the darkness. She uses her right hand to hold on to the middle of thread, using it as a sort of measurement for how far she is from him.

She hears the clattering of what sounds like wood, and suddenly she's being pulled down. She crouches next to him; not even sure which way is up or down now.

Inuyasha gives the string a slight tug to make her let go. She does, but from the look on her face, she doesn't seem too fond of the idea.

"I'm gonna strike up a flame, you should move back a little." His utterance echoes softly through the darkness, and he can see the wave of relief wash over her face. She obeys, holding her arm out for his own to move freely.

It takes him two strikes to get the small flame started. He picks up the hot kindling and places it into his fair-sized firepit, the heat not even bothering him.

The fire quickly grows until the orange hue lights up the entire 'room'.

He watches her face closely as she quickly surveys his little home, curiosity the only emotion present on her face. Blue suddenly meets gold as she turns to give him a tiny smile.

"What a homey little cave you have here!"

He raises an eyebrow. " _Homey_?"

Her smile falters at his lack of reaction, but she powers through and tries again. "Yeah! You've got everything a home could need. I mean, I see you have all of your food stored in one area, along with baskets and bowls, and those pots and pans you must use for cooking!" She raises a hand and points towards the back of the cave. "I see a bunch of furs and a quilt mes— I mean, _neatly_ piled, so I'm guessing that's where you sleep," She switches her aim behind them, towards the pile of firewood and a few other cloth covered baskets. "And I guess you keep all your miscellaneous stuff over here, right?"

He thinks over her words and finds that, yeah, she's not wrong. "I never realized that's how people set up their homes," He says softly. "Are they all like that?"

Kagome grins at the sound of his current mood. "Yep! I mean, you saw Kaede's home, right? Hers was pretty similar, and mine is sorta the same, too!"

He debates over where this conversation could venture and decides to play along. He'd rather her not be angrily screaming while in his secret cave. Just because he keeps his forest quite clear, doesn't mean roaming youkai don't show up.

Some search for him specifically to fight over the territory, but he's stubborn. If he lost this forest and died in the process, he'd be proof that half-breeds are weak. If he lost this forest and lived? Sesshomaru would never let him hear the end of it.

"So, what's your home like?" He decides to ask her questions to keep her calm. Better to learn about her than her learn about him. Besides, she already knows about his home. Fair is fair.

She rests a finger on her chin and cocks her head to the side, "Weeeelllll, my house is a little different from the huts you've seen. It's like, multiple huts put together, and some are also stacked on top of each other for more rooms in a smaller area."

Despite wanting to keep his façade of 'not caring about anything she tells him', this little fact catches his attention. His ears perk in interest, and he urges her on, "Really? How does that work?"

Surprised, but pleased, to know that he's listening, she continues, "We use stairs! Oh, I guess you all call them steps." She mutters the last part with a chuckle. "And we have to use a lot of planning and building materials to do it. It takes a long time to make them." She decides to divulge in her own description of her home, even if he doesn't ask. They both seem to be in a good mood at the moment, why not keep it? "My own room is, and now I'm a little embarrassed to say this, almost entirely pink and purple, and it has been for nearly my whole life," A strange look comes over him, and she suddenly feels self-conscious. "They were my favorite colors as a kid, and I was so used to it, I kept it that way." She finishes nervously. _Does he hate the color pink or something? What gives?_

"You said your room was almost entirely pink and purple?" He asks, sounding dumbfounded.

She blushes under his odd gaze. "Y-yeah, what of it?" She shoots back, feeling a little defensive.

His eyes widen, and he quickly raises his hands in a placating gesture. "Easy! I was asking cause, well," He avoids her eyes, thinking about how crazy it may sound. "Never mind, you'll think it's stupid."

She realizes that he genuinely wasn't trying to be rude, and quickly readopts her earlier bright smile. "It's fine! What was on your mind?"

He looks back at her and has a weird duel feeling of both unease and calm at her smile.

 _This'll take getting used to._

"W-well…" He starts, looking away again. "I had a really strange dream last night…"

* * *

 **A/N:** Be on the lookout for chapter 3, coming soon! :D


	3. Chapter 3

It's 1:20 am and I have work in under seven hours #fuck

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Holding on by a Thread

Chapter 3

"So… You _dreamt_ about my bedroom?" Kagome questions in amazement.

Inuyasha nods, "Yeah, which was already weird because, well, I hardly _ever_ dream." He notices that she's already sitting quite close to him, so he does something he's been wanting to do all day… He crosses his arms in his sleeves, and he instantly begins to feel a little better. A coping mechanism, of sorts. Now feeling like he can talk about their situation without losing his mind, he continues, "I woke up with the string around my finger, and I tried to cut it with my claw, but it wouldn't budge."

Kagome feels the slight tug on her finger when he crosses his arms, so she moves her hand to her knee, keeping it close to him. "I'm not sure if I dreamt the same thing as you, I don't remember dreaming about a cave, just a forest with a whole bunch of stars in the sky," She sighs wistfully. "It was so _beautiful_. I was actually kinda sad when I woke up from it."

"You did, too…" He mutters, awestruck.

Kagome looks back up at him. "What do you mean? You didn't sleep here?"

He shakes his head no. "I rarely ever sleep in here, only on… _specific_ occasions," He relays. "I _usually_ sleep in trees around here, but most often in my favorite spot, which is a bit far, by the village." Odd, he wasn't expecting to talk about himself. Didn't he already agree that he wouldn't do that? So why is he still talking?! He almost mentioned his human night, for Kami's sake!

 _If you two are stuck 'til then, she's gonna find out about it anyway._

Annnnd there goes his good mood.

Her voice brings him out of his inner musings, though. "You sleep in trees? How do you not fall?"

He feels as though she's still in the dark about what he is exactly. "I'm not _human_." He bites out darkly.

She shrinks back at his tone, but quickly fires back with an angry huff, "I guessed that much! Give me a break, will ya? It's not everyday I find myself in ancient Japan! Where I come from, youkai are supposed to be fantasy creatures!"

Two fur-covered ears don't take kindly to the echoes of her raising voice. "Okay, okay, geez, quiet down!" He whispers harshly, his ears laid back against his head.

"Why should I?" She plows on, louder this time, her eyes zeroed in on his own. She nearly raises it higher before she notices his eye is slightly closed. She focuses on his face now, and gasps at the slight contortion of what seems to be _pain_. The anger she felt disappears in a flash, "Wha- Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

"If you haven't _noticed_ ," He growls, removing his arms from his sleeves to point at his head. "My hearing is a bit more _sensitive_ than yours."

Kagome's face morphs into absolute mortification. "Oh my goodness, I-I'm so sorry, I just—,"

"Ya know, it'd actually _help_ if you'd shut up!" He snaps, his temper flaring.

Her eyes widen in surprise, and she quickly turns her head without a word.

He doesn't know why he lashed out like that, but he's never been known to be the patient or understanding type. Everything today has been a major bust, and saying he's stressed is an understatement.

He was expecting her to retaliate and fire back at him, not for her to actually _shut up_. He immediately feels a little guilt, for he already knows that she doesn't like their current situation, either.

He wants to blame her anyway.

His train of thought it broken as he catches a new scent, his ears hearing the quietest of broken sobs.

 _Aw_ , _shit_.

* * *

Kagome didn't _want_ to break down into tears when he yelled at her, but she couldn't help it!

Her day has been _awful_! Her _birthday_ has been awful! She's trapped in ancient Japan, unwillingly connected to a _youkai_ who's supposed to be her _soulmate_ , and she's sure he hates her guts!

She knows that she yelled first, and he _tried_ asking her nicely to be quiet. Frankly, it was her who spurred his wrath.

But did he have to shout at her so angrily?!

As she tries to keep her crying under par, she hears him heave a sigh.

"Look, there's no need to cry…" He begins, his voice hesitant.

 _So much for him not noticing._ Her mind grumbles.

"Today's just… Well, it's _sucked_ ," He refolds his arms, trying to convey his _feelings_ verbally. He's never been good at that, because, well, he's never _had_ to be. "My days are usually spent relaxing _by myself_. Because I like being _by myself_. I like my solitude, and it's suddenly been completely ripped from me, ya know? My mood is not at its best right now."

He glances her way to find her staring at him, her tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes portraying a look of understanding. A small smile makes its way upon her lips.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing… That today's sucked and all," An awkward giggle bubbling up from her throat. "But not because I like being alone. I'm just kinda sad cause I was supposed to spend today with my family and friends, but instead, I'm stuck here. Guess we're both in bad moods, huh?"

It's obvious she's trying to lighten _both_ their moods, so he tries to go along with it. "Yeah, guess so."

"But hey! It could be worse!" She exclaims excitedly. "I'd hate to be stuck here alone on my birthday, so at least, I have _someone_ to spend it with," She admits sheepishly, a little voice in the back of her mind telling her _Of course it could be worse, you got your soulmate as a_ _ **birthday present**_ _._ She quickly shoves that thought away. She's no Disney princess!

"And what about me? Where's _my_ stroke of luck, Miss Brightside?" He quirks a brow, holding back an amused grin at her look of sudden panic. _She has no fucking clue._

"Ehhhhh, well, um, I guess…" She bites her lip, tapping a finger on her chin. The thought hits her in flash. _Ah ha! Lightbulb!_ She gives him a wide smile, hoping he won't mind her answer. "You made a friend!"

She was **not** expecting him to bust out laughing at her comment. "I made a _friend_? Ah Hell!"

"What?! What's so funny?! We can be friends! We're already bonding over both hating this situation, I don't see the humor!" She tries to explain her answer, feeling a little miffed at his reaction. _Then again, he sounds like a recluse. He probably doesn't_ _ **want**_ _friends._

He wipes the tiniest of tears away from his eye, trying to get ahold of himself. "Y-you don't get it, do ya?" He wheezes. "Oh Kami, that's the hardest I've laughed in over a fucking _century_."

 _Wait, a century?! How old is this guy?! He looks like he's pushing seventeen,_ _ **maybe**_ _eighteen!_

He opens his eyes to her look of confusion and suppresses a snort. "What, my age?" He asks. She nods dumbly in reply. "Look, wench, if you haven't figured it out yet, lemme put it in words for ya…" He mentally braces himself, for what could her reaction possibly be? She's not from this world, sure, but would she change her mind about being friends once she finds out exactly _what_ he is? _Only one way to find out._ "I am a _hanyou_. Half youkai, half human, ya got that?"

Her stare remains blank. _No reaction?_

"So?" She says.

 _Un-fucking-believable_.

A girl from some other world just basically told him that being a hanyou was no big deal. _Maybe she just doesn't understand?!_

" _So_?! Hanyou don't get to have friends, _Kagome_ , and we're _lucky_ if we're even wanted by either side of our own family. I don't have _friends_." He explains, more than a little irked by her nonchalance.

She gasps in surprise, quickly realizing what Kaede had meant when she said if her family 'wouldn't mind' Inuyasha having youkai blood. _She meant being_ _ **part**_ _youkai!_

"Are you telling me that humans and youkai alike are _racist_ towards hanyou?!" She nearly shrieks as the thought dawns on her. "Is _that_ what you're trying to tell me?! That's awful!"

All thoughts of snide remarks and sarcastic comments flee from his mind. _Racist? I mean, I_ _ **guess**_ _?_ He shrugs, not really sure how to answer her rhetorical question. "I suppose so, yeah, if that's what you'd call it. The village we went to is an exception, since I more or less have been protecting them for more than a century."

He warily eyes her reddening face, absolute _rage_ radiating from her small form. "W-why, how horrible of them! No matter what kind of racism it is, that's still the worst kind of discrimination! It's not like you're _bad_ , but I guess…" Her ire unexpectedly deflates. "I guess they don't care, huh? They just… Hate you no matter what?"

Hearing her put exactly what the world thought of him in words made his heart pang just a little _too_ painfully. Thankfully, he's good at putting up fronts.

"I ain't worth _shit_ in their eyes. I'm the impurity, the _abomination_ , on **both** sides," He stresses, the words like molasses pouring out of his mouth. He doesn't like talking about it… Then why **is** he? Maybe because he never has? "So, I'm in a class of my own, which is _fine_ by me!" _Though belonging somewhere would be nice._ "I don't need your pity, either, I don't give a damn what they think." _Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt._ "To put it bluntly, I don't have friends, and I don't _need_ friends." _Being_ _alone is far better than being an outcast._

"But…" His eyes snap open. He nearly forgot he was even talking to her. "What if you _want_ friends?" She asks softly. She tries not to cry again; his little speech was hard to hear. She can't even _fathom_ what it must feel like to be on the receiving end of that kind of hatred!

He doesn't even look at her, a growl threatening to claw up his throat. "The Hell do you mean? I said I _like_ being alone, didn't I?"

"There's a difference between being alone and being _isolated_ , you know," She mumbles. "You can have friends and still be alone. I don't like being around people too much, either. I like my alone time, but I also like having fun spending time with people I care about, and who care about _me_. I'd hate to think that people wouldn't miss me if I stayed in my room all day or…" Her lip trembles as she remembers what exactly her family must be going through right now. "Or if I was trapped in another world…" She finishes sadly, rubbing her palm against her eyes and cheeks to rid herself of any fresh or leftover tears.

Kami be damned, he's feeling **emotional**. _It's her damn fault, making me talk about stupid shit like that! And acting all sad and pitiful, ugh, can't she just stop?!_

Before he's able to put his foot in his mouth, though, she speaks up again, "If it's all the same to you… I'd still like to be your friend," She looks right at him then— her eyes still red, her nose a little runny, and he's struck speechless by the hopeful expression she's giving him as she adds, "If you'll have me."

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"So, you dug this whole stream yourself?" Kagome scans up and down the large creek, hands resting loosely on her hips. One end of the creek starts from a nearby river, and at the other end, what started as a small basin he dug himself, gradually turned itself into its own pond. "Amazing!"

"You think so?" He grins with a casual shrug of his shoulders, crouched down by the edge on her left. "Well, it sure beats having to run to the river all the time just to get a _drink_."

"I bet! That's really smart!" She compliments him, her hands folded behind her back as she swings back and forth on her feet.

"Bah, it's just easier, _and_ I have a shit ton of spare time," He brushes her off, fighting against a blush. "Is fish alright for lunch? It'll be the only kind of meat we can get as long as we're, ya know…" He brings up his right hand and wiggles his pinky.

She rolls her eyes half-heartedly. "Yes, fish will be just fine. I'm not picky."

He stands up and motions his head downstream. "Alright then, follow me."

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"I feel like I'm camping," Kagome laughs softly to herself as she takes another bite from her roasted fish-on-a-stick.

"Some camper you are, you couldn't even watch me gut the damn things."

She shoots him a pouty glare at his jab. "I'm _sorry_ , maybe I just don't like to see the process of my food being killed!" She looks down forlornly at her once living meal. "If I had to watch that _all_ the time, I'd probably never eat meat!"

Inuyasha grumbles under his breath, adding 'squeamish' and 'empathetic' to the list of things he now knows about this girl. "It's a part of life. Most animals eat meat, and sometimes, we _are_ the meat. It's just how it goes. Ya get used to it." And with that, he continues munching on the last of his fish.

She doesn't reply, feeling as though that was the end of that topic.

Though, another question has been eating at her for the last couple of hours now… And she'd like to get her answer before nightfall.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" She starts cautiously.

"What?" He replies in a clipped manner, not pausing his meal.

"So, um, what are we supposed to do about sleeping arrangements?"

He halts midbite, eyes widening at the thought. She finds his expression amusing, his mouth hanging open and eyes practically bulging, but feels that laughing would probably annoy him.

He closes his mouth, squinting at his half-eaten food in 'deep' thought.

 _I wonder if cutting off my finger would be worth it?_

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 ** _A/N_** Sorry for the short chapter, I'm just really freakin tired rn and want to sleep but I also wanted to finish this so ta-daaaa!


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